France and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe have taken up his growing investment portfolio by bought a participation in the France Sailgp team, one of 12 national teams in the global Sailing series.

MbAppes move into the high-speed world of the catamaran race follows his latest investments in the German electronics company Loewe, Luxury Watch-Shoping-platform bracelet and French Ligue-2 Club Caen.

The value of the investment of the striker born in Paris was not announced, but his “inspired KM” foundation becomes the team’s official charity.

In a media publication to announce the partnership on Friday, Mbappe said that he was “excited to be on board with this new adventure” and French Hospitality Company Accor who sponsors him and France Sailgp team.

“Inspired by KM I would like to reach young people around the world and give them the strength to believe in their dreams,” added the 26-year-old.

“With our” We Care for All Program “we offer the most urgent, concrete support and hope. Together we are building up a future in which every young person can write their own history and achieve excellence. “

Spectators in Australia Sailgp from February (Brett Phibbs for Sailgp. Handout picture, which is delivered by Sailgp)

Sailgp started in 2019 by the five-time winner of the five-time America Cup Sir Russell Coutts from New Zealand and Larry Ellison, the billionaire, Larry Ellison.

When you absorb speed, the cuffs of the craft are lifted out of the water and reduce the air resistance. The French team is seventh place in the 2025 overall ranking after three out of 13 Grand Prix, but it holds Sailgps top speed record of 99.94 kilometers per hour, which was set up in Saint-Tropez in 2023.

The secret of the rising profile of Sailgp is that the races take place close enough on the shore to create a visual experience in F1 style, although it can always be seen at home to fans. CBS Sports recently expanded its deal to broadcast the series in the USA after the audience grown every year.

So far, Sailgp has been in Dubai, Sydney and Auckland, and the news of Mbappes Arrival in the fleet comes on the eve of Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, the first of consecutive weekends in California, with the fifth round of the season in San Francisco Bay on 22nd to 23rd season.

However, the seven-time French champion and World Cup winner 2018 is not the first country club athlete to be on board.

In 2023, the four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel bought a participation in the German team, while the heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder, ex-USMNT striker Jozy Altidore and several NFL stars under the direction of the former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, who had bought the American team.

However, Mbappe is the richest athlete who joins the party. According to the American Business Outlet Forbes, the Frenchman was the sixth highest athlete in 2024 with a total profit of $ 110 million. This seems to make Sport Illustrated’s latest estimate that its net assets with $ 180 million is rather conservative.

“We could not be more excited to welcome Kylian Mbappe in our growing SailGP family of partners and investors – he is undoubtedly one of the most influential athletes of our time and an inspiration for sports fans around the world,” said Couts, who is now Sailgps Managing Director of Sailgp.

Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

When the series started six years ago, there was only half a dozen teams and they all belonged to the parent company of the competition, F50 League. Now most teams are checked by new investors, including the new participants this season, Mubadala Brazil and Red Bull Italy, named after their main sponsors.

Emirates GbR, the British team, was the first to be sold to external investors in 2022 when Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful sailor in the Olympic history, with the Commodities dealer Chris Blake and real estate developer Peter Green, which completed complete control in an agreement of $ 40 million.

Ainslie is now the team’s CEO. The partner of the America’s Cup, Dylan Fletcher, actually drives the catamaran. And it is a partnership that apparently works because the British team rises the ranking list with 27 points to the GP in Los Angeles, with Australia three points back and Spain is third place.

After the race of this month in California, the series goes to Rio de Janeiro in early May before returning to North America with the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7th to 8th.

Portsmouth organizes the British GP from July 19 to 20 with further races in Germany, France, Switzerland and Spain before the season finale in Abu Dhabi, where the three best teams will fight for the SailGP trophy and a prize money of $ 2 million.

(Top photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images)